Child ID comes to RCS

Ridgecrest Police Department and Police and Community Together visited Ridgecrest Charter School on Tuesday as part of a child ID program.

By John V. Cianijciani@ridgecrestca.com

Ridgecrest Police Department and Police and Community Together visited Ridgecrest Charter School on Tuesday as part of a child ID program.The simple concept of finger printing and taking an up-to-date photo could mean all the difference for law enforcement if a child were lost in Ridgecrest.RCS is the second school Child ID has visited. The unit visited Gateway Elementary School Feb. 12, and Inyokern Elementary School is scheduled for March 12.The Child ID Unit took the photos and fingerprints to create an identification card for parents to have handy, just in case.Those cards will be sent to parents once they are completed.PACT volunteers processed 150 charter-school students and 130 Gateway students.Child ID Capt. Barb Pudgorski said letters were sent 16 local public and private schools, but only four responded so far. Calvary Chapel was the fourth to respond, but no date has been scheduled.“We’ve always done the schools, but we haven’t done them in a while,” she said.She said the letters were sent out in January, and students’ names were put into the PACT computer a week before the scheduled visit.PACT volunteers Virginia Wright, Ginger Chamberlain and Diane Pudgorski as well as Explorer Scout Britnie Glover assisted at the charter school.Schools interested in having the Child ID Unit visit them may call the PACT officer at (760) 499-5107.